The New Orleans Pelicans suffered another loss, 133-125 in overtime, against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday evening.
Despite this loss, fans now have an idea of the level this team can play at under interim head coach James Borrego’s fast-paced style. New Orleans led for most of this game as they played unselfishly, with pace, and prioritized the three-ball. This brand of basketball with pace and space was the same the Hornets played under Borrego during his four seasons with the franchise.
At certain points in the game, especially at the end of the first quarter, we witnessed just how deadly New Orleans’ style of play can be. The Pelicans closed the quarter on an impressive 24-4 run, scoring a season-high 39 points in that first frame.
The consistency of playing this style over 48 minutes is still a work in progress. But overall the offense looks better.
A few performances to highlight
Zion Williamson didn’t just score the basket that forced it overtime but also the deflection who sent it to OT. With just under six seconds to play, he drove to the basket and made one of the toughest layups I’ve ever seen against former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr.. Then on the next possession, he deflected an inbound pass from Memphis. Z finished the evening with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Yves Missi had his second monster performance in a row. All night Missi played with incredible effort and hustle – he fought on both offensive and defensive glass. He had some monster dunks and thundering blocks that not only clearly boosted his self-confidence, but also gave the team a boost, leading to the big runs in quarters one and three.
Jose Alvarado remains the backbone of this team. He finished the game with 24 points and made six threes, but again, his impact went far beyond his counting stats. As usual, he came off the bench and provided a big spark, knocking down shots in the biggest ones possible moments.
Derik Queen had another big night, finishing with 10 points and nine assists. He mainly ran with the second unit, which I thought looked very good, as his ability to act as the focal point of the team offensively helped generate numerous open looks at his teammates.
Last up is Jordan Hawkins, who had by far his best game of the season, knocking down 4/8 threes and finishing with a season-high 14 points. I really hope this performance will boost Hawkins’ confidence going forward, because if he can become a knockdown shooter again, this Pelicans second unit could be scary.
Other guys earning their flowers in this match are Saddiq Bey, Micah Peavy and Bryce McGowens; all three had solid performances in Wednesday’s loss. Side note: I could talk about Peavy’s play for hours, but I’ll make it for your own article.
#Pelicans #discover #identity #loss #Grizzlies